February 20 to March 1 marks the 37th annual Vancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF) taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and this year’s theme shines a spotlight on the land Down Under.

“Make no mistake about it — the Aussies are here,” quipped Harry Hertscheg, VIWF executive director during the festival’s launch on Monday evening. “There are dozens and dozens of Aussies hitting town, and they’re bringing their wines.”

It’s no understatement — out of the 170 wineries represented 14 different countries, 55 are from Australia. The focus wine of the event is syrah/shiraz, with over 150 examples being brought out for visitors to try. Even the official hash tag of VIWF has been deemed #shirazweek.

There are still tickets available for select events, including the Acura-sponsored International Festival Tasting on Saturday where all the participating wineries will be pouring samples of their products. www.vanwinefest.ca for more information and to purchase.